Kirk Sawyers

Kirk Arnold Sawyers (born April 25 1968 in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada) is a highly regarded baseball umpire who currently works games in his hometown and surrounding areas and for the Intercounty Baseball League. Sawyers gained notoriety when he was named general manager for the London Monarchs of the Canadian Baseball League.

Sawyers grew up in Etobicoke and Orangeville, Ontario. Sawyers started to pursue umpiring at a young age, working his first game at the age of eleven. His professional umpiring career took a very scenic route, as he had to attend umpire school several times, with stints at the Harry Wendelstedt School for Umpires and the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring, landing on reserve lists and without an assignment. Sawyers found his way into the pro ranks, first as an injury fill-in and then through through indy leagues, but did not persevere long enough to make it to the Major Leagues.

It is commonly believed that Sawyers is the first Metro Toronto-born person to umpire professional baseball abroad. Montreal born Jim McKean debuted as a Major League umpire in 1973, when Sawyers was only 5 years old.

As of October 2007 (according to Sawyers), he has umpired 4,021 games. He has worked in sixteen Intercounty League postseasons, including thirteen championship series, being the plate umpire in a game seven on three occasions, one while still a teenager. Sawyers has been the plate umpire for twenty no-hitters, including one by current Washington Nationals pitcher Shawn Hill. Other prominent pitchers Sawyers has called balls and strikes for include Fergie Jenkins, Ben McDonald, Paul Spoljaric and Jeff Francis.

In 2003 the Canadian Baseball League hired Sawyers as general manager for the London Monarchs. Sawyers stayed on long enough to help launch the league, with London hosting the league's nationally televised opening day event. The game at Labatt Park featured an airshow by Canada's Snowbirds, the national anthem performed by world renowned tenor Michael Burgess, and a fireworks show. A capacity crowd of more than 5,000 attended. Sawyers resigned shortly afterward and the league, marred in debt, folded at midseason. The reasons for Sawyers' resignation are unknown, but some believe that his lack of business experience began to show and that was given an opportunity for a "graceful exit" by the Monarchs.